1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to furniture construction. More particularly, the invention concerns a novel furniture construction that embodies a unique corner construction that functions to interconnect the components of a centrally disposed article support structure with a plurality of support members that circumscribe the article support structure.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In recent years furniture design has evolved quite rapidly. Particularly in institutional type furniture have designs changed markedly from somewhat crude, heavy metal, welded and bolted construction, to much more attractive, lighter weight furniture, the component parts of which can be readily assembled and disassembled in the field.
Major problems encountered in the design of modern institutional type furniture include the design of corner constructions for interconnecting the side and back panels of article support and storage structures and the design of connectors for interconnecting the article support and storage structures with supporting members such as spaced apart support legs. It is the solution of these prior art problems that is at the heart of the present invention.
One proposed solution to corner construction design is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,440 issued to Dieter. The corner construction proposed by Dieter includes an extrusion construction for mating with and joining a pair of side panels of an article support structure. The corner construction is defined in cross-section by at least one elongated rib section, squared corners positioned at one end of the rib section, a pair of external leg sections at the other end of the rib section and a pair of internal leg sections disposed parallel to the external leg sections and located along the rib section substantially midway between the squared corners and the external leg sections. A normal projection of each internal leg section onto the adjacent external leg sections ends substantially halfway along the length of the external leg section and apertures are provided for passing screws through the portion of the external leg sections beyond that normal projection. The facing ends of the side panels are provided with diagonal faces meeting with the opposite faces of the extrusion rib section and with squared off faces meeting with the square section. Elongate slots are provided substantially midway between the inside and the outside broad surfaces of the panels for receiving the internal leg sections.
Another prior art corner construction is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,618 issued to Kristiansen. This patent concerns a corner structure for use in shelves, cabinets, boxes and similar box shaped article support structures. In accordance with the method of the Kristiansen patent, rectangular and polygonal panels are assembled by means of a rod-shaped junction of substantially hour-glass cross-section. The junction is provided with or may be used in combination with, separate uniting members having projections designed to be attached to the panels by means of screws or the like.
Still another prior art corner construction and table leg connector is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,148,353 issued to Hoffman. This corner construction comprises a generally wedge shaped corner block that is connected with the side panels of a table top assembly by wood screws and is also connected to a table leg by an elongated bolt which extends through the wedge shaped block and into the interior of the hollow table leg.
The foregoing prior art patents exemplify the progress made in furniture design from the traditional bolt and wood screw connector approach to the more sophisticated approaches embodying metal extrusions of the character described in the Dieter patent. As will become apparent from the discussion that follows, the present invention exemplifies still further major advances in furniture design and provides an elegant, highly novel design for a totally new line of institutional furniture that can be readily assembled, adjusted and disassembled in the field by relatively unskilled workers using simple hand tools.